Night Visit
by REdArrowgirl
Summary: basically Robin meets the Slender Men.  not an OC


_I should have done something right then. Why didn't I? Why?_

It stated right as the sun set. Batman and Robin had taken down Two-Face in a big fight off in the dark alleyways of Gotham city. No one saw it of courses. During the fight Batman kicked a pipe which covered the battle field with a fog like mist. It still lingered in the air even after Batman had given the final blow to the once Mr. Dent. As the police cars raced to their portion Batman heard a whisper in the fog. That was the first sigh, but he ignored it. _Why did I ignore it? _

Batman watched the police take Two-Face away from the fog where no one would see him. He didn't move, or make a sound till all the cop cars were clear out of sight. "Come on Robin," he said walking in the direction of were the Batmobile was parked in the shadows. Batman stopped dead in his tracks. Nothing answered him back. No witty remake from Robin, or the sound of him doing a flip off of something. "Robin?" Batman turned looking deeper into the fog. He narrowed his eyes. Slight panic gripped him, but he didn't show it. He couldn't bare the thought of something to Robin. "Robin!" he called out louder to the intense fog.

Batman took a few steps, he could feel his heart starting to race. Under his cowl sweat rolled off his forehead. Had something to happen to Robin while he was busy taking out Two-Face? Batman never heard Robin say a word, or hear a struggle of any kind. It was almost Robin disappeared without a word.

Then he saw him. Robin was standing facing an alleyway, that Batman could not see down. He was just standing there, looking into the dark, fog filled alleyway. He looked stiff as a board, almost like he couldn't move. Being in the Justice League Batman had seen people being controlled by an outside force, and that was what it look like. Even though Robin wore a mask, Batman knew enough to know that Robin's blue eyes were wide, just staring into the alleyway. His mouth was open a bit and he wasn't moving at all. Batman thought it looked like he was listening to someone, but he couldn't hear anything. At first Batman wasn't sure what to do. If something was controlling his partner, would running over to him now get Robin hurt in some way? No. Batman couldn't risk it, yet again he couldn't risk not doing anything.

Robin took a step into the alleyway. "ROBIN!" Batman yelled in a deep voice. It was loud and scary, yet their was much fear in it too. Robin stepped back gasping. It was like he had woken up from a dream. He looked around a bit dazed and confused. Batman ran over to his side. He glared down the alleyway. It was empty, there was no fog, just a bland alleyway like all the others in Gotham. "What happened?" Batman asked grinding his teeth. He put his hand on the young boy. Robin was shaking slightly and panting. "What happened?" he asked again.

Robin shook his head around with a whimper. "It was...it was nothing. I was seeing things," Robin wouldn't look at Batman instead he just kept his head down.

"What did you see?"

Robin bit his lip and looked up at his mentor, "the Slender Man."

Batman just looked at the young boy. "The what?" Batman couldn't help but sound annoyed. The Slender Man wasn't in his vocabulary.

"Kid Flash told me about him," Robin told Batman truthfully. "He's like this myth thing. He kidnaps people in the shadows. He's some kind of supernatural monster that...that if you see him, it means...it means...he's going to take you." Robin started shaking like crazy.

Batman couldn't deny that Robin must have saw something in that alleyway, but the thought that some supernatural myth that Kid Flash most likely made up was in the alleyway was impossible. Batman figured it was Scarecrow, only making his partner see..the slender man? Batman couldn't help think that name was ridiculous. But Robin was clearly scared. Batman would definitely have a would with Kid Flash next time he gave the team a mission. "Come on," Batman put his hand on Robin's shoulder and gave him a slight push to the car. "Let's go." _Why didn't I listen? Why?_

The car was silent. Robin had his eyes closed and once in a while he would whimper. Batman didn't know what to do. Robin was so scared, he knew he had to do something to calm him down. "When we get back, I want you to go up to bed," it sounded more like an order than a fatherly gesture.

Robin shook his head, "no, that's always when the bad guys get you! No! Can't I just go and hang with the team or something. Maybe you could give us a late night mission?"

They pulled into the Batcave. Batman got out of the car and pulled his cowl off revealing his face. His dark eyes looked back to the car, Robin still hadn't got out. Batman sighed heavily, a bit pissed off. "No, your going to bed. I'll put a monitor in your room. I will stay in the cave and keep up the screen the whole time, so I'll see if this...thin guy comes for you okay?"

Robin got out of the car. "Okay." They sent up a camera and faced it to Robin's bed. As Alfred sent it up Robin changed in Dick Grayson. A small kid who's parents were killed right in front of his eyes. He had been though a lot in his time. He remembers his parents falling. His mother reaching out with one hand and his reaching back. But their hands never touched. She only reached with one hand, and he only reached back with one hand as well. Some nights he would wonder if they both reached out everything would have been fine. He would pull his family up, stop them from falling. Or his family would pull him down with them.

"Night Alfred," Grayson told the butler. He had on his collared pajama shirt and long pants. His black hair was a mess and his bight blue eyes were filled with fear.

Alfred smiled, "it will be alright Master Grayson." the British butler patted him on the shoulder. "It was only your imagination. Good night," the butler gave him another smile. He stayed in the room until the boy was under the covers and had his eyes closed. He looked around his room. His desk had some papers and book on it, probably his home work. What Alfred kept looking at was his sunglasses that Master Bruce always made him wear. Alfred thought it was childish that Master Bruce made Robin hide his true identity from the team. They were his friends. With a small sigh Alfred turned off the light and closed the door. "It will be alright, it was only your imagination."

It was passed midnight when Alfred went to bed. He said his goodnights to Master Bruce, had a glass of tea, then headed off to his own room. Bruce was too busy for bed. He was on the Bat-computer reading though some finals. Being the leader of the Justice League and being in charge of the new Young Justice team, Bruce always had work to do. Over in the cover of the screen he had the feed from the camera Dick made him put up. It was in night vision and each time Batman glanced at it the image was always the same. Grayson was laying in bed with his eyes closed. Once and a while he would turn violently. Batman knew he was having a nightmare, but nightmares were quite common at Wayne Manor. As the night went on he stopped glancing over at it. He kept his eyes on the screen looking into Scarecrow, convinced that what ever was scaring his young ward so much had to be caused form him. _Why was so focused on Scarecrow? Why didn't I just believe him? _

Batman read over another crime file when he felt himself growing sleepy. It was odd from him. He was the Batman for God sake, he had gone weeks without sleep, yet now he was feeling tired. Rubbing his eyes he clicked off the file. Batman had his cowl down, but kept the Batsuit on. He never liked to take it off, he would rather to be Batman forever, but he knew he couldn't. Deep down Bruce was Batman, but on the outside at least he could act like the real Bruce Wayne didn't die that night next to parents. He opened another crime file taking a sip of Alfred's famous tea. As he read over the file the screen in Grayson's room when completely black.

Grayson was having horrible nightmares. Dark twisted dreams that he desperately wanted to wake up from, but couldn't. He whimpered pulling the covers up over his mouth. The lamp on his desk flickered on. Dark shadows curled on top of his desk. They rose into the air above his bed. Even the light from his lamp could not make them go away. The darkness spread, growing closer and closer to the sleeping teenager. Twisted shadows that looked like tree branches grew covering the whole room.

A quite whispering could be heard. It was a haunting sound, like the devil himself was saying them. Yet their was something amnions, almost poetic about the voice and words. _Come hither children, gather near_. The darkness crawled on top of the sheets. _Listen close; I'll settle your fear. Your parents warn you of strangers..._

One of the shadows touched Dick Grayson's ear and he woke up with a start. He shot up throwing the covers off of him. "H-hello?" He questioned the darkness. Nothing happened. "Alfred?...Bruce?" Nothing. It was silent. Dick lowered his head as sweat rolled down his face. He remembered that Bruce was watching him, that it was only in his imagination. Taking a deep breath he got out of bed to turn the lamp off. He wondered it Alfred had turned it on as a type of night light. _But worry not, there's no danger_ the voice said. Dick walked to his desk. The lamb shined like a spotlight at him, everything else was dankness. Still he walked closer to his desk. _That's right little one._ Dick froze in place. _Take my hand. _Dick's eyes widen. Sweat trickles down from his forehead. The shadows craw up the wall next to him. In his ear he hears,_ there's one for one, understand? _

Grayson looks up to see a tall man wearing a black suit. The man has no face, just a blank white head. It looked like his face had been metaled off. He has a black tie and the tree branch like shadows look like they are coming off of his body. From the darkness and shadows the man extends his arm towards Dick into the light. From his suit sleeve comes a long white hand. His figures are long and monstrous. His fingers touch the side of Dick's face. They are cold to the touch, but still the boy does not move. Off the sleeve more moving shadows appear. The man's hand pulls lightly pulls Dick's face closer. Closer to him. Closer to the consuming darkness.

With wide eyes and sweat rolling down his face, Grayson just looks at the man. He does not move, nor fight back. Grayson feels cold. The hands hand pulls him even closer. It's so cold.

_My bones warm_, _as I hold you close._ Everything turns black. _Come hither children be like ghosts. _

Bruce Wayne ran his fingers though his raven hair. He clicked off yet another crime file and wondered if it was time he went to bed himself. His eye lids were growing heavy. With a faint yawn he pushed away from the computer desk. Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted that the camera in Dick's room had gone completely black. He let out a gasp. "No," he said under his breath. He knew something was wrong, he just knew. He ran from his computer desk. He didn't have the time to wait from the elevator so Batman, still with his cowl off, ran up the stairs to Wayne Manor. With his heart racing he made it to Dick's room. Not having his cowl on met that everyone could see the emotions in his eyes. The fear and worry. Batman was actually scared. Deep down he knew something was wrong. Nothing could make the camera go dark like that. He raced up to the next floor his heart pounding in his chest. Flipping over the railing he headed to Dick's room at the end off the hall. He ran to the door and forcefullyopened it.

The room was dark. Bruce Wayne stood in the door way looking in side. He saw him. A tall man with a white head and slimming suit. The Slender Man. Out of his suit came weird twisting shadow the cover the whole room including the camera. Bruce spotted his ward. The man's long hand on Dick's face. His fingers caressed his cheek. Neither of them seemed to notice Bruce standing there. His wards eyes were looking deep into the shadows that surrounded the Slender Man. He looked terrified, but wasn't doing anything about it. He stepped closer to him. Shadows stated to rap around his arm pulling it in closer. "ROBIN!" Batman yelled as loud as he could. The Slender Man's head turned at him, but Dick did move, only got pulled in closer. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Bruce yelled running into the room.

He could feel shadows tugging at him, them pulling him away, but that didn't stop him. Nothing was going to stop him from saving his son. He jumped up and kicked the Slender Man right in the face. It made an odd sound, not quite a scream though. From the impact it's hand flung off the teenagers face. Grayson gasped for air, like he had been without for a long period of time. The shadow uncurled from his arm.

Batman went to kick him again, but it was gone. Only a light puff of smoke floated in the air. There was nothing but a desk with books, papers, and Dick's sunglass on it in front of Bruce. The room grew lighter and all the shadows were gone. Bruce quickly looked around the room just to make sure. He saw Dick curled up on the floor.

"Dick," Bruce knelt down next to him. "It's alright, it's alright." he touched Dick's sweaty forehead. It was so cold, almost like a dead body. His ward was crying his eyes out. Bruce rubbed the top of Dick's head not sure what to do. He wasn't even sure what happened.

Alfred ran into the room, "what happened?" he said with a pant.

Bruce shook his head. His ward was asleep whimpering loudly. Bruce picked him up off the ground rapping him in his big strong arms. "It attacked him," Bruce said looking down at the sleeping teenager. "I have to get him to the cave." With that Bruce pushed by his butler and headed to the cave.

They laid the boy down on a small operating bed next to the Bat-computer. Quickly Bruce took a slight blood sample as Alfred went up back up stairs to get some more blanks. When he came back down Bruce was standing over Dick rubbing his forehead gently. "I can't believe it! Your really saying this 'Slender Man' attack him? Master Bruce that's impossible." Alfred said to him hanging Bruce the blankets. Bruce touched Dick's cheek the same place were the Slender Man did. It was so cold, like the life had been pulled out of him. "Sir, you looked stress maybe you should get some rest," the British butler suggested. He gave Bruce a smile even though he knew that the billionaire would not smile back.

"No," Bruce said harshly. "I'm staying with him." Alfred opened his mouth to protest but Bruce cut him off, "remember what I promised, when I told him that he could be Robin?"

"You told me that no matter what happened you would protect him. You promised that you would keep him safe, even if cost you your own life," Alfred said.

Bruce looked down at Dick's unconscious body, "lately I feel that I have gone back on that promise." Alfred raised an eyebrow. "I can't protect him when I'm off to other side of galaxy with the league. I can't keep him safe when he's off with the team. I can't protect him at all."

Alfred put his old hand on Bruce's shoulder. "But you did tonight," Alfred encouraged. "You kept him safe from that...Slender Bloke. You didn't even know what it was, but that didn't stop you. Did it? You kept him safe tonight against a mythological...thing."

"It wasn't really the so called 'Slender Man', there is no such thing. It was Scarecrows fear gas. It was one of his early toxins. One before Dick became Robin, that I was a immune to, while he wasn't. The pipe line I broke was filled with it. In the morning I'll check it out." Bruce said still no taking his eyes off the sleeping teenager.

"Vary well sir, but don't let Master Grayson condition get you down. Like I said, you kept him safe and I have no doubt you will in the future. May I tell you how I know this?" Bruce turned and faced the butler. Alfred gave him a wide smile, he looked Bruce into the eyes and said, "because that's what fathers do. They keep their sons safe."


End file.
